SC raps TS for zero admissions in 400 govt schools

Supreme Court expressed shock and dismay over zero enrolment in as many as 398 government schools in Telangana. “Zero admissions indicate the state of affairs. What’s the reason? Whom should be blamed? Come up with a report within four weeks. Schools without students are like people without life” a bench headed by Dipak Mishra said.

The government had found it difficult to explain the reasons. The government counsel said more number of schools was established under Right to Education Act and there has been absenteeism, drop outs, changing over to private schools etc. “We are not admitting children having less than five years whereas private schools are making enrolment from the age of 3 itself. There are no nursery courses in government schools whereas in private schools there are play schools, LKG and UKG as well. We don’t intend to close down schools having no students. Lack of sufficient number of teachers is also one reason and we will recruit 10,000 teachers by June this year” the counsel told the bench.

The petitioner- the Telangana parents association- has brought to the notice of the court that many teachers have been working as PAs to ministers and MLAs or some other lucrative posts in Hyderabad without resigning to the teacher jobs. The petitioner demanded rationalization as there is no equitable distribution in the teacher-student ratio in a number of schools. “In some schools, the number of teachers are more and students are less and it is quite opposite in some other schools. There is no effort from the government to set the record straight” they alleged.

The bench disagreed with the arguments of the state government and directed it with a concrete action plan on streamlining the system.